learning to listen

Learning to Listen

Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of
long-distance communication, there was a story, perhaps
just a legend, about a young man who applied for a job
as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the
newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When
he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the
background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the
receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to
fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to
enter the inner office. 

The young man completed his form and sat down with
seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes,
the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of
the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the
other applicants perked up, wondering what was going
on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among
themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. They
took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the
young man who went into the office would be reprimanded
for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the
job.

Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the
inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced
to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very
much for coming, but the job has been filled by this
young man."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and
then one spoke up, "Wait a minute--I don't understand.
He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a
chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's
not fair."

The employer responded, "All the time you've been
sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the
following message in Morse code: 'If you understand
this message, then come right in. The job is yours.'
None of you heard it or understood it. This young man
did. So the job is his."

Learning to hear what is being said (not what we think
is being said) is essential for healthy relationships
and more importantly, is listening to and hearing what
God's Word says to each and every one of us. We ignore
it to our peril. 

  -- Traditional